Some ideas for Rep. Thompson

Rep. Glenn Thompson’s April 12th CDT op-ed was an excellent piece of advertising. He effectively demonstrated how he is serving his constituents through working in a bipartisan way to restore land devastated by coal mining, while at the same time creating jobs in the communities affected.

To be sure, he deserves credit for these efforts. This is a good example of an elected official taking his responsibilities to his constituents seriously and following through with appropriate action.

Rep. Thompson should really provide more pieces like this. How about a follow-up further promoting his service to constituents through his vote to roll back the Stream Protection Rule. After all, why force coal companies to pay for the consequences of mining when constituents can save the companies money by paying instead, say ... through their health or quality of life?

Another good write-up could highlight his role in removing the Federal Communications Commission rule protecting the internet privacy of his constituents. After all, the demand from his constituents to allow companies like Comcast and Verizon to share their financial, medical or browsing information without their consent must be huge.

Finally, a piece overviewing his role in blocking efforts to address climate change through gutting the Environmental Protection Agency’s regulations on clean air and water would be an excellent capstone. Cosponsoring the legislation to achieve this was a tactical move that I think merits a thoughtful delineation of the immense benefits he must see for his constituents.

Ooooh — and maybe a real town hall with constituents, too!

This story was originally published April 23, 2017 at 9:19 PM with the headline "Some ideas for Rep. Thompson."